- You might find it difficult to bring up urinary incontinence with your doctor, but it’s very common.
- Incontinence can begin after childbirth, in older adulthood, or with certain health conditions.
- Your doctor can help you identify the cause of incontinence and offer guidance on treatment options.
- Visit Insider’s Health Reference library for more advice.
Urinary incontinence, or the loss of bladder control, is a fairly common concern. In fact, it affects about 25 million Americans.
The effects of incontinence can range from a minor leakage of urine when coughing or sneezing, to an urge so strong you find it difficult to make it to the bathroom in time.
Even mild incontinence can be frustrating and challenging to live with, but there’s a lot you can do to address this concern. A good first step involves identifying the type of incontinence you experience, which can lead you to a more specific cause.
Types of incontinence
Urinary incontinence can be experienced in multiple ways, says Denicia Dwarica, MD, a urogynecologist at University of Missouri Health Care.
These types include:
- Stress incontinence, which happens when pressure on the bladder causes you to leak urine. This might happen when you laugh, cough, sneeze, or lift an object.
- Urge incontinence, or leakage that happens when your bladder involuntarily contracts. You’ll generally feel a sudden urge to urinate before urine begins to leak.
- Mixed incontinence, the most common type, which is a combination of stress and urge incontinence.
- Overflow incontinence, which happens when your bladder becomes overly full and you involuntarily leak urine.
- Functional incontinence, which happens when you have normal bladder function but physical or mental health symptoms, like difficulty walking or impaired reasoning, prevent you from reaching a bathroom in time.
Anyone can experience urinary incontinence, but it’s more common among:
Causes of incontinence
The main causes of urinary incontinence include:
1. Diuretics and foods that have a diuretic effect
Certain foods, drinks, and medications can contribute to urge incontinence because they irritate the bladder and act as diuretics by increasing the body’s urine production, says Dwarica.
Food and drinks that have a diuretic effect include:
Diuretic medications include:
- Lasix (furosemide)
- HCTZ (Hydrochlorothiazide)
- Torsemide
- Spironolactone
If your incontinence is …….